Tasini's Logic

Democratic U.S. Senate candidate Jonathan Tasini seized upon a piece of that Marist poll that hasn’t received much attention.

The poll found 62 percent of registered voters, including 70 percent of Democrats, 51 percent of Republicans and 59 percent of “blanks” (small-i independents) believe the Iraq War (Tasini’s signature issue) should be a major issue in this fall’s campaigns.

In addtion, 62 percent of Democrats said they are more likely to vote for a candidate who is against the Iraq War than one who supports it (9 percent).

Tasini’s target, U.S. Sen. Hillary Clinton, D-NY, has done a lot of triangulating about the war. Unlike Tasini, however, she doesn’t support an immediate withdrawal.

Discussion about ideology is all well and good – and an argument can be made in Tasini’s favor, based on these numbers. But the bottom line is that virtually no one knows him (the same poll found Clinton defeating him 83-13 with only 4 percent undecided). And he doesn’t have the money necessary to change that fact.

In the last quarter, Tasini raised $48,669, spent $71,953, loaned his campaign $10,000Â and had $11,787 on hand. All told so far in this race, he has spent $43,244 of his own money.

Clinton, by contrast, raised $5.2 million, spent $3.2 million, has $22 million on hand and $706,789 worth of debt.

Tasini, recognizing that he is sorely in need of cash, is holding three fundraisers next week – the invitation to one of which is pictured above. The first, which will be Tuesday, is being hosted by actress Susan Sarandon.

Tasini insisted he’s under no illusions here. He understands what he’s up against. But he also noted that a February Quinnipiac poll showed anti-war Democrat Ned Lamont at 13 percent to U.S. Sen. Joe Lieberman’s 68 in the Connecticut primary race.

A new Q poll out todayÂ showed Lamont and Lieberman neck and neck, statistically speaking,Â at 51-47 in Lamont’s favor with a 4 percent margin of error. Â

Of course, there’s twoÂ enormous differences between the NY and CTÂ races.

One is time. Tasini has about two months to make up the difference between himself and Clinton.

The other, as noted above, is money.

Unlike Tasini, Lamont is independently wealthty.Â The multimillionaire founder of aÂ cable TV company that has wired college campuses, LamontÂ has contributed $2.5 million to his campaign to date, but has also raised $829,936 – far more than Tasini. Â Â